Recently I was given a vast list by my college to read, I was unfamiliar with all the books that were included on the list with the exception of some Michael Morpurgo books. With the advice of my friend on which book to choose to read during the summer, I settled on the book: Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks. I was expecting the typical Literature story told through two parts- the first part being pre-war and then the second part being told through the person’s experience of the war. However! This piece of Literature pleasantly surprised me!

A masterpiece

Birdsong had a unique way of telling the story of Stephen Wraysford, a man who has an affair with his French host during his time in the textile industry; then a grand soldier in the Great War; then an experienced trying to find the feelings that he had held for his one true love. It was not told in the typical structure either! With this book you most certainly went through the different periods of time in a VERY unique way. Just be sure when you are reading it that you aren’t going to be easily distracted because at first the way that Sebastian Faulks tells the story, it certainly takes some getting used to.

This is a great book for those who appreciate fantastic pieces of literature! And! To be honest, I’ve never been an avid reader of literature but this book certainly enhanced my interest for it!

The blurb of the book:

“Set before and during the great war, Birdsong captures the drama of that era on both a national and a personal scale. It is the story of Stephen, a young Englishman, who arrives in Amiens in 1910. His life goes through a series of traumatic experiences, from the clandestine love affair that tears apart the family with whom he lives, to the unprecedented experiences of the war itself.”